This, it really is a science we are all researching, some of us have better techniques than others, but most of the time, lucidity happens by chance in a dream.

We have the ability to control everything in a dream, including lucidity. What we are learning is how to access the controls. Controlling dreams uses a different mechanism from controlling other things and it's difficult to find. A lot of the randomness is just our lack of ability to find the controls. I am surprised at how easy it is when you do it correctly, but then I'm left with the question: what exactly DID I do to make that happen so easily? My conclusion is that the control mechanism is deeper than just a desire, thought or mental effort. We go to these things because they are easily accessible for us, but the controls are deeper. I am still trying to understand how to get there.

Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world? Morpheus

rachel@fusion wrote:Anyone who has had a lucid dream before, how do you do it? Are there any tips that actually work to manipulate your brain into having one.

There is no definite 'how' for lucid dreaming. It is a skill, you can learn it through various methods, but how it exactly works is rather vague. I imagine that it is an error in the system, you are not supposed to actually do it but it's still possible. Think of it as a debug menu in a video game (games make such good analogies to lucid dreams), it's usually not possible to use it, but through a certain button combination or command line you can access it anyway.

You have bought a ticket for a train of thought heading for your wildest dreams. Choose your destination, and enjoy the ride!

Hi! I come from Michael Raduga's School of Out-of-Body Travel In there we use the umbrella term "the phase" or "phase state" in order to unite all the other popular terms such as "lucid dreaming" (pragmatic); "out-of-body experience" (perceptually); and "astral projection" (belief-centric). In essence, we consider them all to be the same thing (the phase state) and our goal is to attain that hybrid state that unites wakefulness and dreaming.

Every time someone asks me how to lucid dream, I just send them this:

HOW TO ENTER THE PHASE (OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE/LUCID DREAM INDUCTION)

GETTING PRIMED FOR INDUCTION:

The phase can be entered before, during and after sleep (for more information on this see “deferred, direct, indirect and dream consciousness methods” in Michael Raduga’s guidebook). The hardest way to enter the phase is before sleep. If you are going to enter the phase during sleep, by becoming lucid in a dream, then you better start recording your nightly adventures in a journal in order to improve dream recall, learn to recognise dream cues, and perform reality checks during the day. Ask yourself the question “Am I dreaming?” and learn to answer it effectively. Can you remember what happened an hour ago? Do you remember getting up and having breakfast in the morning? How did you get to where you are? Can you levitate off the ground? Look at something, look away and then look back at it? Is it still the same or has it mysteriously changed? Perhaps its now missing! Look at your hands. Do they look normal? A way to check reality which is highly recommended by Raduga is to perform the hyper-concentration method. This involves looking at something, like your index finger, for more than ten seconds and at a recommended distance of 4-6 inches from your face. Objects in the phase cannot withstand prolonged attention and may waver before going askew or exhibiting warped behaviour. Last but certainly not least, we have entering the phase after sleeping. This is the way that definitely provides the sought after shortcut for the novice. Why? Because by having a nap or sleep prior to induction you are biologically priming yourself for the induction of the phase state later. As you wake up, you can remain still and propel into the phase from the hypnopompic state. If this doesn’t work and falling asleep occurs, you can always try the next awakening or even get up and keep active for a while in order to reduce the fatigue caused by sleep inertia. When you go back down to enter the phase, you will find that you are able to relax easily and REM atonia will soon follow. The following doesn’t have to be followed strictly but it may serve as an initial guide…

INDUCTION:

Relax:

Lie down comfortably and close your eyes. Your eyes are to remain closed throughout the induction. Relax as deeply as you can and take your time. Be patient and don’t rush it. Make sure that you are not disturbed. There are many books about the various effective techniques you can use to acquire a deeply relaxed state, but, because you have biologically primed yourself for the experience, it should be fairly easy for you to do so without having to read up on it.

Focus on something in your mind:

It could be a mantra or a familiar object (the latter does not have to be visualised to perfection). Do this as you sense that you are drifting off to sleep or when your mind starts to wander. Keep bringing your mind back to focus whenever it gets ‘lost’. Keep still and relaxed and do not fall asleep! Focus on your ‘something’ until you reach the hypnagogic state.

The Hypnagogic State:

This is the state between waking and sleeping. You will know that you have reached this state once its imagery, or potential dreams, begin to invade your point of focus. Being aware in this state is already an achievement. Prolong this state by passively watching its imagery, and, given the opportunity, jump into a dream scenario. Whatever sensations you experience here, attempt to amplify them as this will certainly get you closer to the phase. If there are no images, then you may get auditory hallucinations. Listen in as you remain relaxed. You may experience paralysis and vibrations (or other strange sensations) may ensue. Keep calm, don’t panic and bear in mind that nothing can harm you in this state.

Sleep Paralysis / Vibrational State:

Let go of any worries relating to the physical body. The trick is to let your body ‘switch off’ as your mind is still very much aware. This may involve resisting any urges to move or scratch itches. Your body will start to feel extremely heavy and there may come a point where you will be aware of not being able to move it. Remain relaxed nonetheless and don‘t panic. Vibrations may or may not ensue. If they don’t, then other sensations will. The vibrational state can be mild or strong. It can vary from tingling, warmth, and the sensation of low voltage electricity flowing through the body. Strange sounds are reported during this stage. We know that the ear converts sound waves into signals that the brain can interpret through the firing of neurons. The Tensor Timpani muscle in the ear may cause rumbling as it spasmodically vibrates during sleep paralysis, and, the perception of vibrations could be feedback from neuronic activity at this stage. The sensation of paralysis alone may occur when cells at the pons send inhibitory signals to motor neurons in the spinal cord, thus eventuating muscle atonia, which is necessary to prevent individuals from acting out their dreams. Amplify whatever sensation you are having and separate.

Separation:

You can try partial separation first as practice before attempting full separation. Partial separation is optional. There are many ways of achieving a successful disassociation from the body. For example, you can imagine that the ceiling above you is a huge magnet that counteracts gravity and pulls you upwards. Alternatively, imagine yourself being catapulted or cannon-balled out of the body. Also, you can slowly roll over and out. The method of rolling over and out of the body is, in my experience, one of the most effective. Do this subtly and as though you are moving physically but without using muscles. It is best to start by rolling over from the head as this causes the rest of the body to follow. If there is a perceived resistance, be forceful. This movement is not imagined, it is done with intent. Once you have succeeded, you will realise that you have moved incorporeally.

What Happens Next?

Once you are out, explore or carry out any plans that you may have. Try not to get overexcited and avoid fear and doubt. Stay out for as long as you can and don’t worry about getting back, because you always do in the end. A variety of experiences are open to interpretation. From inter-dimensional travel, space exploration, alien encounters, meeting strange spiritual entities, visiting the living and the dead, time travel etc. etc. Remember: whatever the nature of your experience and however profound it may be for you, try to look at it from a viewpoint free of preconceived ideas. For instance, seeing a luminous being who starts singing the most beautiful melody you have ever heard does not mean that you have just met an angel. Consider all perspectives. Record your experiences in a journal. Feel free to carry out experiments of your own to try to determine the nature of your experiences for yourself as you bear in mind that anything in dreamland is possible.

Using the Phase State for Practical Ends:

The following are examples of how the phase can be beneficial: taking medicine in the phantom world of the phase can dupe your brain into “switching off” its pain receptors as the placebo effect is more prominent in such state - in extreme cases of illness, medical assistance must still be sought (healing). Facing your fears while lucid is a great psychological tool (self-integration and therapy). Contacting deceased loved ones regardless of whether you believe that they are real or realistically simulated can be an exhilarating and emotional experience of relief (helps with grieving). In the phase, you can also eat as much as you want and whatever you want without putting weight on (helps with dieting). Learning new skills and honing existent ones (confidence and adroitness). Fulfilling sexual fantasies (pleasure without social constraint). Accessing the subconscious mind reservoir (information and problem-solving). Visiting exotic places, exploring other worlds and being adventurous (escapism and entertainment). Lucid dreaming can generate new ideas at your request (artistic purposes). There are many other uses for the phase state. The mind is the limit in the world of active imagination and if you want to reap the benefits mentioned above and much more - start practicing!

STATES OF MIND TERMINOLOGY:

Waking State:

Also known as wakefulness. In this state, people perceive the physical realm. An individual who is awake is conscious, self-aware, and there is realism of perception. The environment is stable and there is no required effort to enter this state. The perceived world follows set rules, and, only on a quantum level, do things appear to be more uncertain.

Dream State:

This entails non-lucid dreams and falling asleep is all that is needed to enter this state. Self-awareness is absent and the unconscious mind rules when a person dreams. The dreamer is mindlessly immersed in plots and often detached from waking life memories. The experience can be vivid or vague, and, despite the instability, the illogical appears to make sense. Certain techniques can be employed to boost dream recall.

Phase State:

This entails out-of-body experiences (OOBEs or OBEs), and both wake-initiated and dream-initiated lucid dreams (WILDs and DILDs). They are all part of the same phenomenon as the phase practitioner has the distinct sensation of being apart from the physical body. This elusive state can be entered before, during, and after sleep. Effort is required to enter the phase voluntarily, although, some experiences are induced involuntarily. The phaser is conscious and self-aware in what appears to be a phantom reality of a mental nature which often emulates the waking state. The phase can surpass waking experience in quality, and, although environments can appear stable, they can also transmute. It is possible to slip into the dream state from here and vice versa. (40 Hz - Gamma Bandwidth)

After using the toilet, I went back to bed and fell asleep with the intention to enter the phase at the next awakening. The plan was to expect to find, and to communicate with, any characters encountered. As soon as I woke up, and became incidentally aware of sleep paralysis, I got up in a bid to successfully separate from my perceived physical stencil. I just moved without wasting time and without worrying about the nature of this action. I did it exactly like Michael Raduga recommends: “robotically.” The question of whether I stood in my bedroom in physical form, or as a wraith in the phase, was considered after the effort to enter and engage in the hybrid state.

The environment was darker than I expected and I suspectedly took that as an indication that I was indeed in the phase. I frantically rubbed my hands together as I walked out of the room and into the hallway. Then, I huffed and puffed everywhere in a bid to brighten up the mental environment. I had succeeded in literally breathing life into the surroundings and effectively deepened the phase state. The first thing that struck me was a massive blue poster, replete with cartoons, on the wall where the mirror (which sometimes I use as a portal) should have been. This poster was strangely familiar and I believed it existed in the real world as a palm-sized sticker. (To my amazement, I would later discover - in waking life - that the sticker does not exist and would recognise the ‘poster’ incident as product of bizarre thinking or false memory in the phase state.)

I entered an altered version of the bedroom where my two sons sleep and headed straight for its closed window. I passed through it like a ghost and beheld a rich expansion of a garden - far more extensive than my back garden in reality - under a sunny blue sky. It was like a multicoloured fairground; full of giant toys; intricately detailed and lifeless human props; tables, chairs, and canopies; and the vegetation was incredible. I didn’t even know where to look as I scanned the vivid cyclorama. But I was not exactly flying or hovering above this garden (if one can call it that). I was falling, slower than I would in real life, but fast enough to alarm me and to make me think that I would break my phantom legs when I hit the ground and feel excruciating pain. My legs buckled under my perceived weight (not such a Casper after all) but no pain was felt.

The grass was thrice taller than it should have been and many toy-like objects previously observed were now missing. As I scanned the fine soigné shrubbery and burnished fence at the confines of the garden, my audition became gradually and noticeably amplified. Sounds and voices of people behind me having a good time, and, the more curious I got, the louder they got. I turned and saw that the mannequin-like “props” had come to life… The alfresco socialisation in the lucid dream world was more than what I bargained for. I was excited to get involved. I targeted a smiling, silver-haired old woman wearing black suspended dungarees. “Who are you?” - I said, rubbing my hands to maintain the phase. She had huge, bright blue eyes and not many wrinkles. “Cynthia” - she said, looking directly at me. “Cynthia?” - I enquired to make sure I heard right. She seemed annoyed, like I heard wrong, and corrected me: “No! In-thia!” I found this unpleasant and I could swear she had said “Cynthia” clearly but now it was “Inthia” or something like that. I regarded her as a nonsensical and faulty animate object and moved on.

I bumped into a tall and colossal man in a black suit. He was dark-skinned and exhibited a massive jaw. It didn’t get more masculine than that and he appeared to be some sort of bouncer or security agent. “How you doing, mate?” - he said, looking down at me. “Aw…alright!” He suddenly seemed to have received bad news through an earpiece and evinced a state of emergency to the socialisers: “Let’s go everyone! Start running… Now!” Curious, rather than alarmed, I demanded from the bouncer, “What’s going on?” This one replied: “It’s been two weeks and we’ve had no results!” “What!?” Everyone started running in a panic towards a tunnel, at the end of the garden, which wasn’t there before. I was well aware that the phase state could very quickly turn into an ordinary dream so I reminded myself to stay focused and promote consciousness by shouting at the crowd: “Oi! Where are you going? This is my dream!”

But they didn’t listen as they disappeared into the tunnel along with their colossal bouncer. I chased after them down that well-lit tunnel whilst killing two birds with one stone: demanding that they return to clarify the situation, and, reminding myself that it was all a dream. “Get back here! I am your master! This is my dream! Why are you running?” “Look behind you!” A voice from the running crowd said. I did and could not believe my eyes. A giant man-monster, a sullen aberration thrice bigger than the running bouncer, was furiously gaining ground. But I was not scared. I was annoyed at the human monster for intruding in my phase world, for making the socialising crowd that had aroused my curiosity disappear, and, mostly, I was annoyed at myself for failing to control my mental environment. I turned and tackled the monster’s legs. This one fell. Bang! I heard a loud noise and fouled…

The kids were playing in their rooms already. One of them must have dropped a heavy toy and disturbed my sleep. I related my OOBE to my wife while it was still fresh in my memory instead of writing it down in my journal. I was pleased with the experience but I was also puzzled by the “two weeks” and the “no results” uttered by the bouncer character. What sort of conflict could be brewing in my mind?

By the way, I do recommend that you familiarise yourself with two books. Michael Raduga's "The Phase: A Practical Guidebook" (all about technique) and Stephen LaBerge's "Exploring The World of Lucid Dreaming"

Good luck!

"Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."

"Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."

It won't. Raduga wants the word spread as much as the next lucid dreamer. "The phase" is just an umbrella term really. It is meant to bring every practitioner together - from the hard-nosed materialist to the esoteric believer/spiritualist. We are all practicing the induction of the same hybrid brain state.

I'll get working on that article and I'll be the author so you don't have to worry bout copyright.

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"Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."